Peeking Behind the Curtain:The Rise of the Dark Lord
by kailunthecat
Summary: Is evil born or made? How much control do we have over our destiny? Follow this chronicle of the Dark Lord from boyhood to adulthood and more importantly to the moment Tom Riddle truly ceased to exist!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Cave**

Tom stared out at all the other children from beneath the shade of the willow. None of the other children came near him, which was fine. This was how he liked it. He didn't want to be bothered with their drool conversations or their petty concerns. Tom didn't have friends… Well, not the traditional kind. The children his age were afraid of him and ever since the incident with the hamster would not come near him. The older children and himself were engaged in a sort of battle of wills, but that was going to end today.

Tom Riddle was an orphan, but not an ordinary orphan by any means. He had secrets. He had power. And someday soon the misery that was inflicted upon him would be paid back in full. Unlike most children his age, Tom was patient.

Darren Mills was just your run-of-the-mill bully. He was big and not very bright. However, that was okay, since he had muscle to back up his muscle. Darren didn't like Tom. Tom had a hard time doing what he was told, but that, Darren thought was going to stop today. Tom was going to learn his place. Darren looked down at his watch. _Oh yes, it's time._

"Time to meet your maker, Riddle," Darren and his lackeys surrounded Tom under the willow.

Tom tried to look solemn, but he was giddy on the inside. He couldn't quite hide the slight smirk on his face or the gleam of anticipation in his eyes. Tom stood up. The older boys towered over him; then again kids his age towered over him, so it wasn't much of an accomplishment. Tom was 9, small with an almost delicate build. His black hair was a little long in the front and often fell into his eyes tangling with his black lashes.

"Riddle me this, Tom, where's your back-up?" Darren asked. His two lackeys laughed, they were both blond with large teeth and both of their names started with a P (Phil and Pete). Some people thought they were brothers, but no one actually knew.

"They're going to meet us in the cave," Tom answered matter-of-factly.

Darren and the 2Ps stared at Tom for a while. Everyone knew Tom didn't have any friends. "Bollocks," Darren finally said laughing.

"Well, we should head to the cave anyway. I imagine we'll need the privacy." Tom stated, heading off without waiting for a reply.

Darren felt uneasy. His stomach churned and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. However, he was only 11 years old and he had yet to learn to trust his instincts. So, he followed Tom and the 2Ps followed him. The walk to the cave was a bit of a hike and the further they headed the more uneasy Darren became, his fight or flight reflexes were beginning to kick in and he was ready to fly, but he couldn't run, not now. He'd never hear the end of it.

Finally they arrived at the cave. Tom walked in about 15 feet and then leaned against a wall. Darren relaxed. It was just a cave, nothing to worry about. He didn't know what he had expected. Something sinister perhaps? Looking into the cave and seeing nothing helped him regain his confidence. He walked into the cave with the 2Ps with the utmost confidence.

" Riddle, where are your friends?" Darren took an intimidating step towards Tom.

However, Tom did not answer him, at least not in a language that he could understand. Tom was hissing. Harsh sounds that he made in the back of his throat.

"What's he doing?" Phil asked frightened. "Shut him up! Shut him up!"

Darren punched Tom and he fell to the ground, but he did not stop. So, Darren jumped on top of him and grabbed his shoulders and began slamming Tom's small frame into the stone floor. He yelled for him to shut up, but Tom wouldn't.

Suddenly, Tom stopped and he began to laugh, but the hissing didn't stop. It seemed to have pierced into the very walls of the cave. Pete was the first to see them, but it was already too late. They were on them. Four large anacondas had slithered out of the darkness and slammed their large bodies into Darren and the 2Ps. The smallest anaconda lovingly caressed Tom's face. They began to converse and shove each other playfully. Tom, in those stolen moments in the cave looked exactly like what he was, a nine-year old boy. His carefree laughter made Darren's, Phil's, and Pete's flesh crawl.

"If you struggle they'll just hold you tighter," Tom started. "So don't. The point of today is not to kill you. Besides, they already ate, so it would be wasteful." Tom strokes the snake by his side. "Nagini hasn't eaten though. Would you like to see how they feed? It's really fascinating. Quite fascinating." Tom stared down at the smallest anaconda and seemed to have come to a decision. After hissing something to the snakes he got up and made his way to the entrance of the cave. Darren made a straggled cry that gave Tom pause. He looked at the three boys encircled by snakes. They looked truly terrified. This bothered Tom; he began to wonder if he gone too far. Then again, what was the use of having power if you never used it? Besides, if the situation was reversed…Tom did not doubt that he would be the encased in a snake if Darren had his abilities. The question of what he should do, however, remained. Should he let them go? If he let them go would his goals still be accomplished? What if they weren't?

At that moment Nagini slithered up to him and hissed, "_You cannot show weakness. The only thing living beings understand is strength. It is the only thing that they respect. Show compassion and it will always be sensed in you."_ At Nagini's words Tom gained new resolve. _What's the point of half doing anything_, he reasoned.

Tom left the cave and came back with a gray rabbit with chocolate eyes. Tom cooed softly to the bunny in his arms until the animal slowly began to calm down. Then the rabbit caught sight of the large snakes and once again began to panic. He jumped frantically from Tom's arms to find himself suspended in midair. Darren, Phil, and Pete watched as the animal struggled against the invisible hold. Darren hoped to pass out, but he remained stubbornly conscious.

Tom did not realize that he was torturing Darren, Phil, and Pete at this moment. Whether it would have made a difference, I cannot tell you, but I can tell you that it was not his intention. He was still in the early stages of his development and he had yet to learn how to empathize with the feelings of others. Of course, when he did eventually learn empathy he would do everything in his power to destroy it. At this point, however, he did not fully understand the impact of watching an anaconda devour its food, while being wrapped in an anaconda.

The day passed leisurely for Tom. He and Nagini laughed, talked, and played word games (Nagini was too full to do anything else). It was the best day he had had in a while. And for him, it was over too soon. Tom looked out at the sky and knew he could not put it off any longer. It was time to go. He stood up and looked at his prisoners.

"Alright, it's time to go," Tom began. "But just so we are clear, you do what I say or the next time we meet like this you're going to get hurt. Don't tell anyone about my friends here or… well, you can use your imagination. Do you understand?"

Darren, Phil, and Pete nodded frantically; none of them trusted their voice enough to venture speaking. Tom hissed and they were released from the snakes' hold. Their muscles were sore and various body parts asleep, but they scrambled and stumbled as they tried to put as much distance between themselves and that cave as possible.

Tom laughed and lingered as he said goodbye to his friends. He hummed to himself as he made his way back to the main park area. One battle won.


	2. Chapter 2

**At the end of this chapter there is a section called comments from the author. That is a part of the story don't skip it! Reviews are welcome. Let me know if you like it or if it sucks. That being said, enjoy.**

**Chapter 2: A Day in the Life of a not so Ordinary Orphan**

Things were finally settled in the Benjamin Fitzgerald's Home for Boys. The other children feared Darren and Darren feared him, so he was able to control everything from behind the scenes. Children have such short memories that he had always had to reassert his dominance before. Phil and Pete were useless after the incident in the cave. Phil had a break down shortly afterwards and was moved to a home for special needs children. Pete developed a dreadful stutter and no one feared a guy with a stutter hence no one listened to him. The incident had left less visible marks on Darren though, so he was still useful.

There was something disquieting about Tom's presence that made even the adults at the Benjamin Fitzgerald's Home for Boys nervous. They never caught him doing anything untoward; nevertheless, their eyes automatically sought him out whenever anything happened. Mrs. Pemberton, in particular, believed that Tom was somehow responsible for everything that went wrong in the foster home. Whenever, there was an accident, you would be able to find her muttering: "Sinister, that boy is sinister." Thus, there was always tension in the Benjamin Fitzgerald Home for Boys, making it a very unpleasant place to live for everyone.

Tom did not know this, but he shared a special connection with Mrs. Pemberton. On a cold night eleven years previously she took in a young pregnant woman. The girl was tiny with a large protruding stomach. She had black stringy hair and a small face with large features. Her clothes were old and ragged, but even more astonishing they look like they were from another era entirely. She looked like a milkmaid from times long since past. _Poor thing, she must have made these things herself_, Mrs. Pemberton thought to herself. Mrs. Pemberton tried her best to nurse the girl back to health, but the young girl had already given up the will to live. It was while Mrs. Pemberton was giving the girl a sponge bath that she first noticed the locket hanging from the girl's neck. It was large and appeared to be gold. It had a large decorative S in the center. Mrs. Pemberton shook her head, the girl was pregnant and starving, but she kept a locket when she could pawn it in order to buy food and shelter.

Mrs. Pemberton took care of Merope Gaunt for two days. On the second day she gave birth. She was alive long enough to name her son and bequeath her last possession to him, the locket. Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. Mrs. Pemberton dotted on him during the first year of his life. However, as time went on and with so many children to look after, her attention pulled in different directions. So, the day came when she looked at Tom and realized that he had changed and not for the better. She felt as if she had allowed something sinister to take root in that child, after he had been left in her care. Somehow, she felt as if she had failed and even worse than that she felt as if nothing could be done about it. She recognize that there was a problem and had simply written it off as unfixable. Mrs. Pemberton made sure to keep an extra close eye on Tom, but never did she think of any way to put him back on the right path.

School was different. Tom at a much earlier age than most had figured out the value of an education. He loved to learn and he thrived at it. Tom was different at school. He was amiable and relaxed. His teachers loved him. He was well-behaved, attentive, and thirsty for knowledge. He devoured his readings, excelled at his projects, and always asked for extra assignments.

On Saturdays, Tom would sneak off to the cave to be with the only beings that he felt truly understood him. They would talk about silly nonsense plans for the future: "_When I'm older…When I'm rich… When I rule the world."_

So far, I have painted Tom Riddle as a solitary creature. Which is not necessarily true, Tom had friends or to put it more accurately there were children that consider Tom their friend. As, I have stated earlier Tom consider Nagini his only friend. (By now you must be wondering who I am. Yes, someone is telling you this story! However, all good things to those who wait).There was one boy in particular that consider Tom his best friend. His name was Hector and he wasn't a very intelligent boy, but he was determined. Hector was a "mistake."He was a constant reminder of his parents' misdeed. His parents did the "honorable thing" and got married, but he knew that he was the source of their unhappiness. They never let him forget it. He was never able to please his parents, so he stopped trying. Tom drew him with his quiet confidence. Hector directed the devotion that would have normally gone to his parents to Tom. So, you see even as a child Tom could pull people in. When Tom went to Hogwarts he had left Hector in his past. Hector was devastated, but he learned a valuable lesson. He learned that he could not trust anyone. For Tom, Hector was part of his past, but for Hector Tom and the lesson Tom taught him stayed firmly rooted in the present.

**Comments from the Author**

You're probably wondering why I'm writing this. Don't worry, I'm not a Voldermort sympathizer nor am I trying to humanize him. In fact, I hope that by the time you read this the world is rid of him. My calculations maybe off, but if he isn't dead this will help you. _Then why don't I expose him now_, you ask? For two reasons. One, the world is not ready. This could do more harm than good if revealed too early. And now for my selfish reason, because I have people I love and I will do whatever it takes to protect them. The first reason is a very valid one, but even if it wasn't the second reason holds strong. I will do anything to protect my love ones even at the cost of others' lives. Your life. This sounds horrible and it is, but I am no hero. You should know that. No decent person would be able to tell you about Tom. Yes, Tom. He will always be Tom to me. By the time you read this he will have killed me. I have done a lot of things that I am not proud of, but I was young. Judge me if you must, but judge me fairly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Anacondas in a Park**

The world is full of people that have more ambition than they do brains. Like Brendan Carr. Brendan came from a long line of scholars that have made vast contributions to both the muggle and wizarding worlds. Expectations were high. He imported four green anacondas from Brazil. He figured he could do for anaconda's brain tissue what Albus Dumbledore did for Dragon's blood. Here is where he went wrong; first off he forgot that he was dealing with living, thinking, and _feeling_ beings. Secondly, he tried to manipulate the biology of the snakes to suit his purpose changing their entire nature. So, instead of dealing with four solitary creatures, he created a unit that worked together. A unit that was able to adapt to its environment. Now, as many strong regards as I may have for animal testing, I'm not saying that we should not do it. I'm saying that if you do it that thought should be given to how you treat the animal and how alterations will affect the animal.

Brendan Carr did not give any thought to these concerns. Thus, the snakes he had imported from Brazil had been altered and changed. No longer were they solitary creatures, no longer were they bound to their instincts, and no longer were they willing to be Brendan Carr's guinea pigs. So, they developed a plan. They waited for Carr to contact his family, because they knew that if they waited until after he had done that, that it would be a while before anyone knew of his death or that they were missing. Brendan contacted his family once a month and generally he had no visitors.

Finally the day came. Brendan injected anesthesia into the snake that long ago had ceased to work. As he began to prepare to gather tissue samples and the snake attacked. Brendan didn't have time to prepare himself as the snake heavy body slammed into him and wrapped around him, slowly squeezing the life out of his body. It took him an agonizing thirty minutes to die. The snake then released his brethren and waited for the cover of night before they left. The snakes traveled using Great Britain's sewer system before they came to the park and their cave.

When Tom first discovered the anacondas in the cave, they recognized him as a fellow brother. It was a connection that went deeper than instinct. The anacondas themselves would not be able to tell you why they accepted Tom, so readily. They just did. When Tom told them of his troubles at the orphanage they offered their assistance and even a plan. It was Tom that suggested that they didn't actually kill the boys.

You may have noticed that I have mentioned only one snake by name and it has also been noted that there is only one snake that holds Tom's favor. You must be wondering what has happened to the other three. It's quite simple. Nagini killed them. Since Nagini's mind was still developing the changes that took place weren't as fixed for her as they were with the other anacondas. One day she decided that she would be better off without them and she cut her losses. It was a cold act, but snakes in general aren't known for being sentimental. Besides, Nagini was no ordinary snake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Dumbledore's Visit**

Albus Dumbledore approached the Benjamin Fitzgerald Home for Boys; he could see that at one point in time it had been a rather handsome building. However, now it appeared gloomy against the gray sky. The building was in need of a paint job, vines create up one side of the house, and the front porch sagged a bit. Dumbledore approached the house and took in the ominous atmosphere. He found himself that this was no place for a child to grow up. Dumbledore knocked on the door where he was met by a fretful woman, whom was continually casting nervous glances around her. When Mrs. Pemberton found out who Dumbledore was there to see she immediately sent him up to his room assuming the worst. Tom went up to his room and sat on the age of his bed to think.

"_They did it. They finally did it," _Tom thought to himself. He had immediately assumed that they had sent for the doctor and where planning to send him away just like they had sent Phil away. Tom could not claim to have been surprised by this. In fact he had expected and planned for it. Although, he would never admit this he was hurt and afraid. Hurt, because although this was an awful place to grow up and live it was the only place he had ever been able to call home and afraid because what if they succeeded? What if they sent him away to someplace he couldn't escape from? To a place where Nagini couldn't follow?

These were the thoughts running through Tom's head, while Dumbledore was calmly explaining to Mrs. Pemberton that he was not there because of anything that Tom had done, but rather to inform them that Tom had been accepted into a rather prestigious school.

"But…but I don't understand we have never applied for Tom's admittance to any…um, what was the name of this school again?" Mrs. Pemberton inquired.

"Hogwarts. His mother sent in the application before he was born," Dumbledore replied patiently.

"Well, I don't it makes very much. We simply don't have the funds to send any of our children to private schools," Mrs. Pemberton sighed. You see, Mrs. Pemberton hated to see an opportunity like this slip out of any of the boys' fingers, even Tom's these boys received so very little in life and an opportunity like this being flaunted in their face was the ultimate cruelty.

"Not to worry, when had spread of his mother death we decided to take him on as a scholarship student. It won't cost anything," Dumbledore stated. Mrs. Pemberton looked up in surprise, but did not say anything, so Dumbledore continued. "It's a boarding school, so Tom would live on campus and all of needs will be taken care of by the school during the school year."

Mrs. Pemberton never thought she would hear the words Tom and boarding school in one sentence. She nearly fell out of her chair. "Are you sure that Tom is the right person you're looking for?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. "I am quite sure. Now, I would like to speak to Tom before I leave."

"Oh. Of course," Mrs. Pemberton said while rising to her feet still a bit in shock. While walking up the stairs she realized that it would be improper of her not to tell this Mr. Dumbledore what kind of child he would be admitting into his school. "Um, Mr. Dumbledore there are things that you should know about Tom… He's not like other children."

"How so?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Well, there have been incidents with the other children. Nasty things. Understand there is nothing I can point to and say that he has done, but he was always seem to be around when these things happen," Mrs. Pemberton paused for a moment. "There was an incident with some other children in a cave a few years back. No one will talk about what happened in that cave!" Mrs. Pemberton stated with all of the exasperation that she had been pent up inside her over the years. "Mr. Dumbledore, I know what I sound like, but I felt like I had to say something." Mrs. Pemberton said as they stop in front of Tom's room.

"Thank you, I very much appreciate all you have told me," Dumbledore replied patting Mrs. Pemberton on the shoulder. These kinds of situations were not uncommon. Children with magical abilities growing up amongst muggles often encounter situations like this, so Dumbledore did not give much thought to Mrs. Pemberton's warning.

Dumbledore opened to the door to find Tom sitting on the bed with a somber expression on his face. Most children at the orphanage had to share a room, but Tom had his own room due to a series of not-so unfortunate events (at least as far as Tom was concerned). As soon as Dumbledore entered the room, Tom asked him the question that has been on his mind, since Dumbledore made his appearance on their door step.

"You're a doctor, aren't you?" Tom asked looking Dumbledore straight in the eye.

Dumbledore was not disturbed by Tom maturity like many adults tended to be. He knew that like himself, Tom experiences in life aged him at a rather rapid rate out of necessity. This does not mean that he was blind to Tom's character's faults, rather he simply believed that the bad habits that Tom had developed, like most children, could be unlearned.

"No, I'm a teacher," Dumbledore answered.

"I don't believe you. She wants to send me away. She thinks something's wrong with me," Tom said as he eyes Dumbledore suspiciously.

"No Tom, I'm like you…"

"No one's like me," Tom interrupted him.

"You're wrong."

"Prove it."

Just then Tom's wardrobe flew up in flames and just as suddenly the flames were gone. A slight rapping started to come from inside the wardrobe. "I think something in your closet is trying to get out," Dumbledore said as he places Tom's acceptance letter on his bed. Tom got up to open his wardrobe and Dumbledore followed. There in an old cookie tin was a few of the things he had collected from the other children over the years. "Theft will not be tolerated at Hogwarts, Mr. Riddle. I expect you to returns these things to their rightful owner." Dumbledore stated as he turned to leave. However, just as he reached the door Tom said something else.

"I can talk to snakes. They find me. Whisper things. Is that normal…for people like us?" Tom asked.

"No, that is very unique indeed."


	5. Chapter 5

**I Professor McGonagall and Moaning Myrtle in this chapter any reviews would be welcome; especially in regard to these two characters.**

**Chapter 5: Second-Hand Items**

The rest of the summer pasted in a blur for Tom; unlike other children from the muggle world that would be entering Hogwart's next semester, he did not question whether the conversation he had with Dumbledore was real. He accepted the fact that he was a wizard readily. He had always known he was special and now he had proof. He had read and reread his acceptance letter over and over again that summer. He was a little sad that he would be parted from Nagini for an entire semester, but anacondas were not on the list of approved pets. They spent more time than usual together that summer. Nagini as it turned out knew quite a bit about the wizarding world.

_Why didn't you tell me all of this before?_ Tom hissed.

_You never asked. _Nagini answered giving the impression that she was shrugging her shoulders even though she had no shoulders to shrug.

Two days before school started a severe looking woman came to pick Tom up from the Benjamin Fitzgerald's Home for Boys. She was a young woman in her made mid twenties, but she carried herself with the air of a matriarch. She had honey brown hair and a rigid posture. "Hello Tom, I'm Professor McGonagall."

Tom knew that she was coming; he had received an owl yesterday afternoon. She was taking him and another girl to buy their things before going off to Hogwarts. Tom had wanted to make a good first impression, as a result he had scrubbed his face and put on his best Sunday clothes. So, he was a bit disappointed when he fully took in this stern looking young woman's appearance. She wore a short black skirt with dark green tights underneath, and a pink shirt with yellow polka dots that puffed out around the shoulders. Her outfit and her rigid demeanor were in such contrast that his disappointment was quickly replaced by the need to laugh. Tom grabbed his bags and they set off. He was a little surprised that anyone would let him go with this strangely dressed woman, but they did. Either it was magic or they wanted to get rid of him quite badly. Tom told himself that if it was the latter it didn't bother him, after all wasn't he trying to be rid of them too?

They walked down to the corner where Professor McGonagall stop and asked Tom to give her his hand. He did and then very suddenly he felt what he assumed would be the equivalent of being sucked into a vacuum cleaner. When he emerged out of the _other end_, they were in a neighborhood he did not recognize. He felt sick and knelt down and put his head between his legs. Professor McGonagall looked down her expression softening a bit.

"I am sorry Mr. Riddle. The first time is always a bit rough. You'll get use to it in time."

By this time, Tom was able to compose himself a bit. After taking one last deep breath he was able to ask: "Where are we?"

"Ireland. I have one more student to collect before we make our way to Diagon Alley," Professor McGonagall answered as she walked swiftly towards a small blue house with white trimming.

Tom was actually very excited to meet another person his age that was like him. That was until he actually met Myrtle Miller. Who turned out to be the most annoying person he had ever known. She had a high whiny voice and was clingy by nature. She stood out in her gruff looking family. She was small like Tom with dark hair and glasses. Her glasses were quite large and seemed to take up most of her face. Tom assumed that they couldn't wait to get rid of the sniffling creature. He couldn't have been more wrong. Myrtle was very much loved by her family. Their standoffish stance was due to a need to control their emotions not an absence of it. Tom's perception of how Myrtle was perceived by her family, friends, and classmates are very important, because it was one of the contributing factors that led to her death three years later.

There was a lot of what Tom called 'excessive displays of emotions.' Mostly of which was Myrtle awkwardly clinging to siblings, while they patted her head and un-entangled themselves from her grasp. It took them a full hour to collect Myrtle and leave. Myrtle's parents supplied her with what they hoped was enough money to buy all the things she would need. Her father was a factory worker and her mom sometimes took in laundry to make ends meet. So, there wasn't much to go around in the first place, but her parents made sure that their daughter would at least be able to get the bare necessities.

Myrtle Miller's family stood huddle by the gate as Myrtle, Professor McGonagall, and Tom walk down the street. Myrtle kept taking covert looks at Tom, but he firmly avoided her gaze and stood at all times on the opposite side of Professor McGonagall. Myrtle was scared and there was something about Professor McGonagall that did not quite invite tête-à-têtes. Tom on the other hand was like her. He too was new to all of this. In him she saw a potential companion.

Hand-me-downs were nothing new to Tom. Everything he had ever owned up until that point had been owned by someone else. It was not something he thought much about, because everyone in the orphanage wore hand-me-downs too. However, picking up his robes, school books, and supplies with Professor McGonagall and Myrtle, Tom felt ashamed. Here he was in the midst of the crowd picking over somebody else's leftovers, when the people around him were buying clothes that nobody else had ever worn and books no one else had ever read. Tom felt belittled, as if for the first time he realized what he looked like through the eyes of others. He longed to go back to the Benjamin Fitzgerald's Home for Boys; where he was a somebody. He longed to be a big fish in his small pond once again.

They were almost done. Now, all they had to do was pick up their wands. Tom prepared himself for one more dig through someone else's leftovers, but it was unnecessary. Unlike everything else that Tom had been purchased that day his wand would be new. A wand is not merely an instrument used to wield magic. Witches and wizards form very special relationships with their wands. More often than not a witch or wizard would use the same wand for the entirety of their life. So when Tom walked into Ollivander's he was not greeted with the familiar sight of the used and discounted section. What he saw were walls crammed with slim boxes. A slim man with shoulder length dark brown hair stood behind the counter.

"Hello Minerva, bringing in some fresh blood to get their first wand hunh? It wasn't that long ago when you came in here," Ollivander said with a smile. He had kind eyes. That what Tom recalled about Ollivander when he recounted the first time he saw him, that he had kind eyes.

"I'm sure you would. As I recall you almost burned this place down that day. Your father was furious," Minerva replied.

"That he was. Now let's see what we have here. Come forward dear don't be afraid," Ollivander said motioning Myrtle forward.

"I'm not afraid," Myrtle stated. She sounded different to Tom at that moment. She sounded sure of herself and confident. He had a hard time associating her with the whiny creature he had spent the day with. Ollivander handed her the first wand and instructed her to give it a go. A loud crash in the back startled both Myrtle and Tom, but Ollivander reassured them both and took the wand back. Five wands later and Myrtle found her wand.

Then Tom step forward and Ollivander didn't say anything for a while he just stared at him. Ollivander seemed to see through Tom with those eyes of his. Ollivander murmured something to himself and then went to the back. Tom deflated. _ Is this it? Am I not going to be a wizard after all_? He thought to himself. He was near tears when Ollivander came back with a sleek black box.

"This was just made last week and I think this is the perfect wand for you, Mr. Riddle. That's yew wood, 13 ½ inches, and a phoenix feather core," Ollivander stated as he handed Tom the wand.

Tom knew. Just holding it in his hand, he knew that it belong with him. At the urging of Ollivander, Tom gave the wand a wave and cemented their fate together. "This is it. I choose this one."

"No, it chose you," Ollivander corrected. Tom still looked confused, so Ollivander added, "the wand chooses the wizard."

That night, while lying in bed at the Leaky Cauldron Tom did not ignore Myrtle's knock on the door. They stayed up all night speculating about what Hogwarts would be and what they would learn once they got there. They compared their wands and contemplated over the principles and properties of magic. Just a few more hours and a world of opportunities, the likes of which they never imagined would open up before them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Hogwarts Express/ First Encounter**

The next morning Professor McGonagall dropped them off at King's Cross Station. Myrtle was anxious again and it didn't help when Professor McGonagall told them they had to run through a wall to get to their train. Tom was the first one through. He took off at a run before the words were fully out of Professor McGonagall mouth. This was his destiny and he wasn't going to let a brick wall stand in his way. Tom stood in awe for a moment, before he remembered to move. The train stood there glistening like something out of a dream. He moved his things and was standing off to the side watching the blur of activity go on around him, when Myrtle came through the portal. Like Tom, she stood in awe and marveled at all that was around, but unlike Tom, she forgot that she was standing in a doorway. A very busy doorway at that. Unfortunately for her the next person the portal was Absinth Lorry. Absinth Lorry is a prick under normal circumstances. Absinth, if you're reading this, you're a prick. You're welcome. Absinth came through the portal and crashed right into Myrtle and sent her flying straight across the station's floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you, mudblood? Has no one ever taught you to make way for your betters? Or at the very least not stand in the entry way. Hogwarts is really going to the dogs. They are literally letting anybody in," Absinth started. Mean while Myrtle was lying on the ground, a bruise on her right cheek and blood leaking through her stocking and dropping onto the floor.

My sister and I were loading our luggage on the train while all of this was taking place. I was unimpressed; I had seen the Absinth Lorry: Asshole of the World show before. Several times actually. We're neighbors. I finished loading our stuff on the train and searched for an empty compartment. Hopefully, one that would stay empty. I'm not very fond of people in general. My sister, Grace, however, decided that Absinth had to be stopped. Thirty minutes later, I find myself sharing a compartment with a crying Myrtle Miller and a sullen looking Tom Riddle. I never found out what happened on the platform after I went into my compartment. To be honest, I never cared enough to find out. Grace comforted Myrtle while I read a book and Tom stared out of the window. After an hour and a half of listening to Myrtle's howling I had had enough.

"Can't you stop her bawling, for crying out loud?" I asked my sister looking up from my book in exasperation.

"She's in pain," Grace said while patting Myrtle and giving me the look that said stop being an insensitive jerk.

"Lots of people suffer in silence, I've been told that it's dignified." I said. "Look at him, he has been putting up with this far longer than we have and he hasn't said a word about it. Suffering in silence. Try it for a little while." Tom smiled a bit when I said this, but he still didn't say anything. He kept he gazed fixed on something out in the distance.

"Gwen!" Grace reprimanded.

"It's easy for you to say none of you have been through what I have been through today. It was so humiliating," Myrtle whined and burst into a fit of tears.

"You have no idea what any of us have been through Myrtle so quit you're blubbering," I snapped. She was right of course. I had never been through anything like what she had experienced that day, but that wasn't the point. She didn't know me. Even then, I hated people who make assumptions, especially when they had no evidence to base their conclusions on whatsoever. My sister was staring daggers at me by now, but I didn't care. "So, what's your story?" I asked turning to Tom.

"I don't have a story," Tom replied.

"We all have a story. Sometimes it's just buried in a book that no one wants to read." Tom didn't look like he was very open to having a conversation, but since I couldn't read my book in peace, I was persistent. "I'm Gwen Evercrest. That's my sister, Grace. She's the nice one and the pretty one, but that's okay since I'm the smart one. It's our first year too. What house are you hoping to get into?"

I made the right decision steering the conversation to Hogwarts. Both Tom and Myrtle were clearly from the muggle world and hungry for information. "House?" both Tom and Myrtle ask in unison.

"Yes. Once we get to Hogwarts we will be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Each house is supposedly based on what the founders consider to be the most important quality in a wizard. However, I think it can be easily broken down into four major character strength and hypothesize that whichever character strength you identify the most with is what house you will be placed into."

"So, what you are saying is that we can potentially guess what house we are going to be placed into?" Tom asked.

"Well, it depends on how well you know yourself, but yes." I answered.

"And how would you determine what house you would be in?" Myrtle asked her voice had the hoarse quality you expect from a person who had just finish crying.

I paused for a moment. "I'm going to ask you a question. Don't think just go with the first answer that comes to your mind. If you could only have one thing what would it be power, knowledge, courage, or world peace?"

Tom was the first to answer. "Power."

Then Grace, "peace."

Myrtle looked torn.

"Don't worry Myrtle. You have just found a flaw in the house system. You see, all of those things are good things to have and any school should strive to cultivate their students to be knowledgeable, risk-takers, ambitious, and kind. They shouldn't separate students based on these character strengths and nurture just one of them."

"That's all well and good, but what house are we going to be in?" Tom asked.

"Gryffindor for the brave, Hufflepuff for the kind, Ravenclaw for the intelligent, and Slytherin for the ambitious. Tom you would take power. To acquire power takes ambition, so I'd peg you for Slytherin. Grace answered peace. It was the only answer that was completely selfless, so if she's not a Hufflepuff then I don't know what the hell a Hufflepuff is. My answer in case anyone was wondering was knowledge. I'm going to Ravenclaw. What about you Myrtle? Why couldn't you decide?" I asked.

"How do you choose between something that benefit society and something that would benefit only you?"

"Simple, you don't. Stupid people are stain on the soul of the world. There by, by choosing knowledge I am bettering society and myself," I stated with absolute conviction. Grace rolled her eyes and Myrtle simply looked confused as if she couldn't tell whether or not I was serious. Tom, on the other hand, looked intrigued.

There was a moment of silence before Grace said, "you're so full of it." There was no malice in her voice, when she said this. In all honesty she never took half the things I said seriously. She insisted in seeing good in me, even when it wasn't there.

We chattered a lot on that first train ride to Hogwarts. The closer we got the more we talked. We were so excited about all the possibilities ahead. We could be anything, do anything. In those moments on the train, we were invincible. Looking back, who could have predicted that we would have ended up the way we have? Who could have known? Who could have stopped it? I often think back to that very first train ride up to Hogwarts and I wonder if that is where it began. I wonder whether it was that first encounter that set us on this destructive path, but then I think of the joy we felt when each second brought us closer to Hogwarts and I think nothing this evil could be rooted in something so good.


End file.
